1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to one-piece, spring steel, stamped fasteners for releasably retaining the edges of panels, such as plastic panels or the like, and more particularly relates to one-piece, spring steel, stamped fasteners for releasably gripping and retaining the edge of a plastic panel with a preselected resistance to release of a retained panel edge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One-piece, stamped sheet metal fasteners for releasably retaining panel edges are known in the prior art. The prior art fasteners for retaining the edges of plastic panels have typically utilized the free edges of opposed leg portions or tabs to resiliently retain a panel edge therebetween. The free ends of the opposed leg portions or tabs were typically inclined in a converging direction and/or in a direction opposite the direction of removal of a resiliently retained panel for grippingly engaging and/or penetrating the sides of the panel and for resisting removal thereof. While the prior art fasteners were suitable for many purposes, the prior art fasteners were not totally satisfactory for conditions wherein removal of a retained panel upon the application of a predetermined removal force was required. Generally, the prior art fasteners were not suitable for this purpose as the free edges of the opposed legs or tabs thereof tended to penetrate and/or cause cold formed depressions into the plastic panels under the resilient gripping force of the fasteners and such penetration and/or cold formed depressions were often of a very unpredictable and often excessive depth. Other prior art fasteners were unsatisfactory as they tended to be complicated and/or expensive to manufacture and/or use.